Hello?? Hello?? Can you hear me now ?

"Hello ??

Hello, may I speak to Gregory Mann?

Uhm, no, he's not available.

Do you have a better number for me to reach him at?

Noooo, not really.

Is this his wife?

Yes. *sighs*

Hi, my name is (insert random hospital / medical / ambulance / x-ray / doctor's office bill collector here). I'm with "we'll annoy the heck out of you collection services even though you've told us over and over your husband's estate is still tied up in probate and you can't get blood from a stone and that as soon as you start being the Executor you'll call us back and give us money but we don't listen and we don't notate the account because we're too busy looking at midget porn and telling our friends on FB and even though the only number we can reach you at is Google Voice message with a snarky voicemail message we ignore all of that and keep calling you anyway !!!" How are you today?

Great. *SIGH* Look, I've talked to you people ( being really nice and not saying asshats / igmos / jerks ) dozens of times in the last 7 months and nothing has changed. When it does, I have a list of people just like you who I'll be calling as soon as I am able to turn my pennies into bills and be assured, you will be seeing the monthly MINIMUM from me. Yes indeed.

Ohhhh, GREAT !! Well, in the meantime, is there another relative or party that may have an interest in the estate that we could contact ?

WHY YES !!! Here's the names, work, cellular and home telephone numbers, and addresses. Please, be my guest, feel free to call them ANYTIME.

Oh thank you so much, sorry to bother you. Goodbye.

*tick tock tick tock*

Riinnnggggg Rinnnnnggggg.

Hello??

Hi, (this is all that I just typed up there) again, the party says they are not responsible any of Mr. Mann's estate.

Well, as I'm sure they'll find out, because they have laid a claim to the estate, by Alabama State Law they are most definitely responsible for those debts and possibly more !

Ohhhhh ok, well thanks.

No prob, call them anytime.



Anyone else wanna slice of this pie ?

Let's go to the playoffs !!!

Smoke em if ya got em baby !!!!



The NEW YAWK YANKEES are the 2009 AL EAst Division Champs !!!



Uncle George and I approve !!



Cheers !



And the best part - we did it at home, while sweeping the evil RED SOX !!



THANK YOU MY BRONX BOMBERS !!

My fall will be a bit better now !

Sunday Secrets.....

I love Post Secret. I have all of the books and I check the website regularly. In a few weeks I'm going to an event in Tuscaloosa where I hope to meet the man behind P.S.

I've never sent one in myself, but sometimes I see ones that makes me do a double take, because someone, somewhere, has the same secret as me.

Tis the Season (s).......

I noticed earlier this week that the "retail elves" have been busy. Christmas has begun to fling itself in our faces already, and just like every year, it's more, more, more and now, now, now.

Holidays are tough for a lot of people , and for many different reasons. Just because my husband's dead doesn't make my hurt any less than someone else who is suffering.

It just makes it my own.

There have already been a few holidays and occasions in the last 6 months. Easter was not so bad, probably because it was low-key, kind of the way we always spent it. Plus I still think I was in STUN-MODE at that time.

Father's day? Ugh. Not only is my dad in Stage 4 cancer, so that was probably his last, but Gregory was a father too. And right next to the cards for dear old dad ? FOR MY HUSBAND, WITH LOVE. Well. Wonder what kind of "extra postage" I'd need for that one?

All of the summer holidays were difficult as we loved being at the lake, and that was his time to cook and be on the boat and be "KING OF LAKE MITCHELL.": )



My birthday came and went, and thanks to the help of many fine friends it was a good time and Dr. Lecter managed to keep his appearances down to a minimum.

And we're in the midst of football season. This is tough. And that's all I'm gonna say. Besides War Eagle baby.

Coming up, we got Halloween and Christmas. Those two were always my favorite, especially Halloween.

G loved Thanksgiving and Christmas.



Last year we spent Christmas out of town at a resort with my parents. My dad was sick and he wanted to make it easier on my mom instead of her having to host and all that. Gregory said he always wanted to go out of town and Christmas so we joined the. Christmas Eve we had a lovely dinner with my parents, and G and I walked along the beach and talked while we drank wine. We then sat on the pier and just hung out for awhile and looked for Santa. : )

Christmas morning, we had room service and then went to the spa for massages. We then had brunch with my parents and spent the afternoon in the hot tubs around the pool and just relaxing.




It was a great Christmas. I am so glad G got to do what he wanted.

This year my parents have rented a beach house, cause my dad wants to spend it away again. I'm going too. I'm not so sure I'm gonna be in the mood to be decorating and ho-ho-ho-ing and such. And our wedding anniversary is 10 days before ho-ho day, so that will be tough as well.

Then there's New Years, which will be a bitch because we always spent it at the lake, grilling steak and lobster, and having the whole caviar and champagne while we cook, shooting fireworks and generally falling asleep while we were both curled up in the giant double recliner we have down there.

And don't even get me started on St Patrick's Day. I may just have to find somewhere on the planet with no green and no Irish ties when that time rolls around.

I am having a Halloween party though.

I'm starting my own traditions.

Without forgetting our past.

Mine !! No Mine !! Mine !! No Mine !!

Things are trucking along as usual here.........





And how was your week ?? ; )

Movement.....

Life is made up of movements.

We move forward, backward , up, down, sideways. We are constantly in flux, whether good or bad, movement is constant and reliable. Whether we like it or not.

My dad moves up and down in his chair, trying to ease the comfort that chemo rages on his cancer-ridden body. My mother moves around in her own way, trying to keep her body and mind busy in a vain attempt to ward off the impending movement of widowhood that washes over her like the waves that have already overtaken her daughter.

I move occasionally. Chasing these crazy dogs around. I get out of bed and go to work. I move around this yard we loved to work in as a team, except now I'm on my own. My mind moves all day, positive , negative, pretending to be happy, actually being happy, then moving to try to find a place, some happy medium, where I can be happy without moving into guilt.

Life, time, traffic, kids, friends, family, pets.

Everything moves.

I'm getting ready to move too. Eventually I will sell this house we lived in and move somewhere else, somewhere that wasn't ours, but mine. And I'm ok with that. G liked this house, but his heart, and his home, were at the lake.

G is moving. What little puff of ashes that are left in that box and the beautiful stone that marks it will soon be at a place that he would have wanted, in a beautiful marble urn, in a place where he was happy, loved and should have been all along. I should have put him there in the first place, but I tried to have a heart and give the people that have now turned against me, against us,a place to go. But now, he will move to a place he loved. It is as it should be.

But I have learned in these last 6 months, that wherever I am moving, G is moving with me. Not just in the remnants of his ashes that are under my skin, or the ones I carry with me, but in my heart and soul.

So I am ready for the movements. It's almost like being a kid again, learning to surf in the waves off the coast of Bali or Phuket.... the movement beneath you may be initially terrifying, but you learn to master the flow and wash ashore, ready to ride again...... and I think I'm ready.... : )